Build a Better App

With the ability now to publish any application on the Yahoo! homepage via the Yahoo! Application Platform (YAP), we've received numerous requests on what guidelines and best practices developers should follow to increase their chance of promotion and exposure to all Yahoo! users.

Helping Users Discover Your ApplicationYahoo! is a big place, so be sure to maximize your App's reach across the network: leverage Yahoo!'s sharing components; describe your App (and yourself) in a clear, differentiated manner; promote the App on your site, Twitter stream, Facebook fan page, etc.; and provide a signed-out experience so that the largest potential userbase can fall in love with your App.

Providing a Better Initial Experience Regardless of your App's function, be sure to provide some level of utility to users on its initial load. Also, make sure your interface leverages existing data whenever possible (via YML, YQL, and other data sources), asking the user for personal information only when certain you don't already have access.

Optimizing the Views Yahoo! offers both a Small View (widget-sized) and Canvas View (full page) to developers, affording opportunities to present quick, at-a-glance snippets of information as well as rich, immersive environments.

Making Applications Social Many Apps can become significantly more enjoyable when populated with your friends. Yahoo! offers APIs for our Social Directory, providing access to rich profile data and friends' lists, as well as an ever-growing footprint for our Updates user event/activity stream. Leverage both effectively to make your App experience richer while also making your App more visible to folks not currently using it.

Respecting Your Users Trust is a serious issue for Yahoo! users. They can be turned off to using your App quickly if you don't adhere to several tenets when building your experience.

Improving Performance Yahoo! has long pioneered the Web performance space. As such, users on the network expect quick responses to their every interaction. Dig in to techniques that can enhance both the actual and perceived performance of your App to ensure a quick-acting experience for your users.

Optimizing Your Application for the GalleryBoth the Yahoo! homepage and My Yahoo! offer users a mechanism to find and add new Apps to their pages. To ensure your App stands out from the crowd, follow these simple steps to making your App discoverable.